The present invention relates to a seafood based food product resembling pork and a method of making same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a salmon based food product resembling bacon which has been fried and ground into a plurality of individual pieces.
Pork toppings have traditionally enjoyed considerable favor among consumers both in the United States and abroad. Pork toppings (known by many to be sold as bacon bits) have been used as condiments on salads, chowders, soups, potatoes, steamed rice, egg dishes, bagels with cream cheese, celery sticks, along with a considerable variety of vegetables and hors d'oeuvres. However, pork products are generally high in cholesterol and animal fat, and also include an abundance of nitrites and nitrates. In fact, many consumers have sought to eliminate or severely limit the amount of pork that they consume in their diet. Moreover, many consumers do not eat pork products due to religious convictions. Thus a need exists for alternatives to pork products which have the look, feel, color, taste and texture of pork.
Fish based food products are generally believed to be low in cholesterol, low in fat and high in nutritional value. However, many of the fish products sold in North America are manufactured from fish caught in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. Due to high costs associated with storage and transportation, it may not be economically viable to process certain types of fish. Alaskan pink salmon is this type of fish. Pink salmon is a neglected and wasted resource because it sometimes costs more to process, store and package than a retail price that consumers are willing to pay. Every year, tons of pink salmon are either legally or illegally dumped overboard by processors and fishers off Alaska's coastal waters. At the time of this patent application, pink salmon provides very little value to the fisherman. Most of the value is in the eggs, i.e. caviar or "roe" of the salmon. Salmon meat is therefore a by-product. Unfortunately, this significant source of protein, which has a relatively small wholesale cost, is not being effectively utilized in the market.
A number of prior patents have addressed the need for producing a value added seafood product. Eckholm et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,586, disclose a boneless ham substitute made from whole fish fillets. According to Eckholm et al., a boneless ham substitute may be made from whole fish fillets which have been mixed in a tumbler with nitrite and salt. The nitrite and salt assist in the extraction of salt soluble proteins. Sodium phosphates and sodium erythorbate are then added to respectively reduce moisture and oxidation. The mixture is then extruded through a vacuum stuffer into a netting and bound with an edible collagen film. After cooking, the product then appears as a boneless ham.
Other processed seafood patents have addressed consumer demand for flake style and chip-type food products. Nakaie et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,225,231, disclose a process for producing a flake style food made from dehydrated vegetables, a seasoning solution and a protein source such as fish, poultry or cattle meat. The product is obtained by mixing the vegetables and seasoning through stirring in a temperature zone of 10.degree. to 80.degree. Celsius for 1 to 10 minutes. The emulsion is then mixed with fish, poultry or cattle meat. Walter, U.S. Pat. No. 3,684,527, discloses a process for preparing a chip-type product made from clams but which resembles potato chips. Chopped clam particles are added to monosodium glutamate, lemon juice and soy sauce then mixed for several minutes. The mixture is then heated between 130.degree. to 212.degree. Fahrenheit, spread onto thin sheets, such as cookie sheets, and subjected to drying. The resulting sheets are then baked to form a skin, and are available for further processing such as deep frying.
While a variety of unique seafood products have been shown, there exists a need for an economically viable seafood-based product which resembles pieces of fried bacon and which may be used by consumers as a condiment, topping, or seasoning.